Edition:
February 26, 2010
Public Notices - DBA Info • CONTACT
US: News Department • Display
Advertising • Classified
Advertising
|
||
Reporter, The Friday Flyer
Corporal Ole Williams of the Canyon Lake Police Department reports an increase in check fraud stemming from mail theft within the gates. He says all deputies have at least one reported theft they are working on but he could not confirm the number of suspects involved. As many as seven Canyon Lake residents have reported up to 12 incidents of check fraud in recent months.
Outgoing mail, mostly checks sent to pay bills, is being stolen from the outgoing mail slot of cluster mailboxes. According to Corporal Williams, the thefts are not from any one particular location and have been reported at various areas in the community. The thieves have been washing the check or using the real routing and account numbers to create checks on their computers with a false name and false ID to make purchases. When the checks are used at a business and run through check machines, the funds are immediately deducted from the victim's account.
Outgoing mail recommendations
Corporal Williams is recommending residents do not use mail slots in the cluster mailboxes for outgoing mail. At her "Coffee with the Mayor" on Tuesday morning, Mayor Nancy Horton confirmed the City is discouraging residents from using the outgoing slots and suggested they use the official USPS mailboxes at the Main Gate. It's important to make sure mail drops securely into the mailbox.
Resident Terry O'Rourke, who was in attendance at the mayor's meeting and is a former Post Office manager, said mailbox thefts were a problem as far back as the 1980s. He recommends not using any of the large USPS mailboxes at night after the last pick-up, as mail is more vulnerable to theft.
Another option for residents is to take outgoing mail to Pack, Wrap and Post in the Towne Center between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays, or between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
Preventing and reporting theft
Residents who have experienced a theft are encouraged to report it to the Canyon Lake Police Department's non-emergency line at 776-1099, option five. To make a report, residents also can stop by the Police Department at City Hall and talk to an officer in person, or press the police dispatch button on the wall outside. If a theft is suspected Corporal Williams recommends reporting it to all credit bureaus to flag credit in case something is missing. He also recommends having secure software protection for online transactions and using direct bill payment options, which draw funds directly from the account.
What's being done?
There has not been a definitive solution to the problem yet. The Post Office says it won't replace the cluster mailboxes, according to City Manager Lori Moss. She also says the POA and the City have received conflicting information on the cluster mailboxes and who is responsible for any replacement.
The individual boxes and their locks are the responsibility of the individual homeowners, according to Corporal Williams, who says he has recommended the POA get more of the blue USPS mailboxes for convenience and also so they won't get full. According to the mayor, General Manager Clint Warrell of the POA is working with the Post Office on a specification for mailboxes. In the meantime, residents are warned to be cautious with their outgoing mail.
|
|
